


Derek, huh? I like it!

by Anzieizna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: ANYHOW, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, College Parties, First Meetings, M/M, One-Shot, Soulmates, Writing Prompt, now i usually don't like soulmate aus but i wanted to explore i guess?, prompt, scott lydia and kira also show up but briefly, so i didn't want to tag and tease people looking for those characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anzieizna/pseuds/Anzieizna
Summary: In all his endless, limitless scenarios, the thought of meeting his soulmate was always surrounded by romance.He’d never imagined meeting his soulmate dressed asWhere’s goddamn Waldo.Which is why, in Derek’s opinion, he’s perfectly justified when his first words to his soulmate are:“Are you fucking kidding me?!”--- OR: ---Derek owes Laura a favour and attends a party. Turns out, there's a certain cute guy who he might have a connection with.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 27
Kudos: 524





	Derek, huh? I like it!

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by a prompt -- "imagine having your soulmates first words on your wrist and your words were “i finally found you!” so you grew up thinking damn, your soulmate will be romantic and cute but those are actually just the first words because you dress up as waldo for a halloween party one time and some loser with jokes comes up to you and says that shit as a where’s waldo joke."
> 
> I kind of hate this because I don't think it's very consistent but we'll go with it. Enjoy!

_Next time Laura asks a favour_ , Derek notes to himself, _do not do it_.

Because Laura? Laura Natalia Hale, eldest daughter of Talia and Stephen Hale, the star family child with enough charisma to charm everyone around her? Yeah, that Laura is a _bitch_.

Derek is thinking this, not for the first time, as he stands huddled in the corner of a Halloween party. He didn’t want to come. God, he hated things like this, but Laura had widened her eyes and made her lips tremble and her lips wobble and basically everything short from magic him into it.

Well, maybe she did that too. He wouldn’t put it past her.

He’s jolted back into the moment when a college-aged douche-bag stumbles past him, slurring nonsensically and tips his entire cup of beer onto Derek's shoes. The douchebag, who’s clearly attempting – and failing – to grow a beard, takes one look at Derek’s face, pales, and runs off.

“Fucking Christ,” Derek says to himself as he shakes his foot off. “Laura owes me _big time_.”

The party is pretty bad. Some kids on the campus decided to throw this year’s Halloween get-together, which already sounded pretty terrible to Derek, but this was one of those ‘must be in costume or you’re kicked out’ parties too. Laura had been _very_ excited. Derek? Not so much.

It was bad enough that he was being forced to socialise, but dress up? Yeah, no thanks. Which is why by the time Laura showed up at his apartment, dressed up as a particularly busty werewolf, she was appalled to see that Derek was still wearing his normal clothes.

“Derek!” She’d cried. “You were supposed to buy a costume for the party!”

“You were actually serious about that?” Derek had snorted. Then he sent her a disappointed look. “Well, looks like since I don’t have a costume, guess I can’t go then, huh? What a shame.”

“Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily.” Laura had marched into his room and tore his wardrobe apart in order to find something. “This is good enough,” she’d said, pulling out a white-and-red striped shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of his glasses off a side table.

“You’re joking,” Derek had said, staring at it in horror. “There’s no way I’m dressing up as _Where’s Waldo_.”

Derek ended up dressing up as _Where’s Waldo_.

 _Laura is evil_ , he thinks to himself. _Evil_. _I'm never doing her a favour again_.

Almost as if summoned, the she-devil herself materialises out of the crowd.

“Derek! Having fun?”

He scowls. “Being pushed around and thrown up on? Sure, I’m loving it.”

“Oh, don’t be such a grump, Der-bear.” She throws an arm around him and pulls him close, pointing vaguely across the room. “I’ve got some friends I want you to meet. They’re great, trust me.”

“Last time I trusted you, you made me dress up as _Where’s Waldo_ ,” Derek growls.

Evidently Laura has selected hearing, because she just ignores him and pulls him back into the crowd. All the noise makes him nauseous - he's never been a social person, always preferring to lock himself away with his music and books. Almost instinctively, he presses at the mark on his inner forearm, as he does each time he’s uncomfortable.

As far as Derek knows, touching your soul mark doesn’t actually have any effect. It’s basically just a tattoo, words printed on your skin from the moment you’re born until your last breath. Still. Derek likes to touch it, to stroke and run his thumb along its side whenever he’s anxious. It comforts him – to know that, someday, he’ll meet a guy or girl that’ll make him forget about all his discomfort. Or share it, at least. It’s a little bit idealistic, but Derek thinks he deserves it.

Especially right now, he thinks as they pass another vomiting college student. Ugh. College students. Even if he was one, too.

Eventually they reach wherever Laura has been dragging him. She pulls him to an abrupt stop, bringing his attention back to a group standing at the edge of the room. They’re chatting amongst themselves, nursing their own beers more than happily when they spot Laura.

“Laura, _finally_ ,” a prim-dressed red head says, quickly pulling Laura into a hug. When she pulls back, her eyes look crazed. “I just saw Jackson across the room, and guess who he's with? Madeleine Stockwell." Derek has no idea who that is, but Laura lets out a scandalous gasp and the girl nods. "Right? Men _._ What pigs. I am _so_ not dealing with that. We need to get drunk.”

“I am definitely behind that, Lydia,” Laura says to the girl, Lydia apparently, before looking back to Derek. “Guys this is Derek, Derek these are the guys.”

“Hi,” Derek says dryly.

Lydia looks him up and down with narrowed eyes. He strangely feels like he’s being dissected when she _hmph_ s, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"He can't be _that_ bad if he's related to you," she decides, then aims a look at him. "But don't even bother to hit on me."

Derek bristles a bit. "I won't."

"Good." Lydia nods, as if he passed some kind of test, and turns away.

On the other side of the circle, a guy with scruffy hair and an uneven jaw sends him a sunny smile.

“You must be Laura’s brother. I’m Scott. This is my girlfriend Kira,” he says, referring to the girl wrapped up in his arms.

She also smiles at him and even waves. “Hi! It’s nice to meet you.”

Derek just grunts in reply. They seem nice enough but he’s not going to repeat it and lie to them. He really just wants to go home.

There’s a few more people in the group but Derek doesn’t care, absently listening to their introductions before going back to his beer and tuning out of the conversation. Then Lydia speaks up, commanding the group's attention to her with a simple clearing of her throat.

“ _Ugh_ ,” she scowls, eyes scanning through the crowd. “Where’s Stiles? I sent him to fetch drinks and he can’t even do that?”

“Probably making out with some guy,” Scott shrugs. “He’ll be back soon enough.”

Derek scrunches his nose and turns to his sister. “What’s a Stiles?” he asks, and Laura laughs in his face.

“He’s Scott’s best friend. He and Lydia are working on a project together, so she’s basically made him her personal assistant.”

“She seems nice,” Derek comments, watching Lydia with cautious eyes as she reapplies her make-up with a mirror.

Laura shrugs. “You’ll get used to her,” she says, then turns back to the conversation.

Whatever it is, Derek doesn’t know, because the next minute a body crashes into the circle and loudly announces itself.

“Hey guys, guess who’s got the beer _and_ a cute guy’s number!”

The minute Derek looks up, it seems like all the air in the room has been sucked out. Because… wow.

Just wow.

Derek could try to describe this guy, but he doesn’t think words could do him justice. Not his silky skin, his endless cluster of moles, his cute little nose, his whiskey-coloured eyes and the way his (admittedly cheap) cop outfit is making Derek relive some rather embarrassing memories of when he’d first discovered porn as a teenager.

Basically, the guy is hot. Like… _really_ hot. And cute. And beautiful. Derek thinks he’s running out of words, which just goes to show how gorgeous this guy is because he’s an English major and he’s pretty sure there’s more words than just this.

The guy grins at his friends, ready to pass around beers, when his eyes brush across Derek and freeze.

For a moment, it feels like time stops. They stare at each other, silent, maybe a little awkwardly, but Derek really doesn’t care because the guy is _staring at him_.

Then his eyes flicker to Derek’s costume, something lights up behind his eyes, and the guy says, “I finally found you, Waldo!”

And that.

Hmm.

When Derek had been a kid, he’d imaged up tons and tons of scenarios of when he’d meet his soulmate. The words on his forearm had seemed so romantic, so longing, and he would have dreams of running across fields towards a figure that he’d fall in love with at first sight.

 _I finally found you_.

Over the years, the fantasy had changed a bit, but it was still something special. Maybe it wasn’t a field – maybe instead it was a busy city, and they’d meet eyes and instantly be drawn together. Maybe they’d bump into each other in one of his classes and stumble over their apologies. Maybe they’d both be huddling from the rain and would finally notice someone was next to them.

In all his endless, limitless scenarios, the thought of meeting his soulmate was always surrounded by romance.

He’d never imagined meeting his soulmate dressed as _Where’s goddamn Waldo_.

Which is why, in Derek’s opinion, he’s perfectly justified when his first words to his soulmate are:

“Are you fucking kidding me?!”

The guy blinks owlishly, eyes wide and jaw dropped. Around them the group’s gone silent, but Derek barely notices because, before he knows it, the guy freaking _flings_ himself at Derek and wraps his legs around his waist.

Unsurprisingly, they fall to the ground.

The guy doesn’t seem bothered at all – instead he’s laughing, his chest rising and falling, his head flushed and thrown back. For a moment Derek is struck with how beautiful he is, the light hitting him at the perfect angle and creating almost a halo around his head. It practically steals his breath away. Then he remembers that he’s dressed as fucking _Waldo,_ and the moment is ruined.

“Oh my _God_ ,” the guy gasps, practically straddling his chest as he stares down at Derek. (He's not complaining.) “That is _not_ how I imagined those words would be said.”

“Neither did I,” Derek growls out, because _really?_ Really universe? _Where's fucking Waldo_ , seriously? Come on!

“Aww, did I disappoint?” He has the nerve to poke at Derek’s cheek, and Derek has to resist the urge to bite at his finger. Not necessarily in a bad way. His soulmate must read the thought on his face, because his smile suddenly turns sultry and he breathes into Derek’s ear. “I’ll make it up to you later,” he promises, and a shiver runs down Derek’s spine.

Before anything else can be said, however, a loud voice from above them calls out, “what the _fuck_ is going on?! Stiles, why did you just jump my brother?! Derek, why are you flirting with him?!”

The guy – the infamous Stiles, apparently – looks him up and down, smirk even bigger now. “Derek, huh?” he echoes. “I like it!”

Then he jumps up and pulls Derek with him.

For a moment they’re caught up in staring at each other. Stiles blatantly checks him out, and Derek tries to stifle any redness on his face. Stiles seems to like what he sees, though, if the way he bites his lip is any indication. And him biting his lip. Jesus. You'd think Derek hasn't had sex in _forever_ with the way he's reacting, but apparently that's just Stiles.

Then Laura waves a hand in front of their faces. “Uh, hello?” She frowns. “Damn, Derek, if you wanted to get laid so bad you could have just told me.”

“I don’t—that’s not—”

Beside him, Stiles grins largely. “Aww, he blushes!” he coos. Derek has a feeling he’s resisting squeezing his cheeks. “Holy shit, did I win the soulmate lottery.”

“Soulmate?” Lydia asks, sharply reassessing Derek. The dissection feeling returns, but before he can grow any more uncomfortable he sees Stiles moving in the corner of his eyes and his attention is stolen away.

Stiles pulls the sleeves of his cop costume up higher, until it shows off his upper arm, where a band of black ink spelling out, _‘are you fucking kidding me’_ wraps around his skin. He impatiently tugs at Derek’s hand until Derek’s own mark shows, and caresses the words, slowly, carefully.

Derek watches him for a moment, silent, until Stiles looks back up with a starry look in his eyes. “Hi,” he says. “I don’t think I said that yet.”

“No, you just threw yourself at me.”

Stiles flushes a bit then punches his shoulder. Judging by his wince, it hurts him more than it hurts Derek. He complains about Derek’s solidness, jokingly poking his chest before seemingly getting lost in touching his abs.

Derek clears his throat, amused, and watches as the blush travels down Stiles’ neck.

“Uh, sorry,” he says. “You’re just – like, _unbelievably_ hot.” He turns back to his friends, pointing a thumb at Derek. “Can you believe this, Scott? This is the guy who the universe paired me up with!”

“Congrats, man.” Scott raises his beer in a toast. “But please stop feeling him up in front of us.”

“Seriously,” Laura says, but behind her eyes Derek can see she finds this more than funny. “I don’t need to see that kind of stuff.”

“Right.” Stiles blinks and pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket, carelessly throwing it onto the ground. “Guess I won’t be needing that guy’s number anymore.”

An inexplicable feeling of jealousy washes over Derek. He doesn't really get why - the guy had _literally_ announced it when he'd joined the group, and with a face like that Derek couldn't imagine guys left and right _not_ chasing after him. But the thought of Stiles, his soulmate, with someone else sent a queasy feeling down his stomach. He can’t seem to shake it, no matter how hard he tries, but clears his throat and stuffs his hands into his pocket. “You don’t… need to,” he forces out. When Stiles gives him a curious look he says, “you can go back to that guy if you want; I’m not going to force you to be with me.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Stiles cries out, then suddenly grins and laughs to himself. “See what I did there? Didn’t even mean to, but those are the words on my mark and – anyways,” he clears his throat, “Derek, you are like… the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen, and trust me, I have _eyes_. Good ones. Which I use. No way am I letting you get away.”

Derek’s chest warms up and he feels a smile on the edge of his mouth.

“Ugh, gross,” Laura moans. “I don’t want to see this weird mating dance. I came here to get drunk.” With that, she steals Derek’s beer and chugs it in one go. Both Stiles and Derek look on in horror as she takes Stiles’ beer, too, and down that one before turning away. “Remember to use protection!"

Derek sighs. “God, I hate her.”

“She’s pretty cool,” Stiles disagrees, then suddenly turns towards him. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Derek raises a brow. “I don’t put out on the first date.”

Stiles’ face grows red. “No, that’s not – no. I meant, like, to a _diner_. There’s one not too far from here, _Rosie’s?_ ”

Derek shrugs. “Haven’t been there.”

“Dude, you’re missing out! They have the best curly fries, and their milkshakes aren’t too far behind either.” He grabs Derek’s hand and squeezes. “Well, what do you say, Waldo?”

Any sappy feelings (which _definitely_ hadn’t been there, totally) immediately evaporate with those words.

“Not anymore,” Derek says and makes to turn away, but Stiles pulls him close and rubs his thumb along the mark. When Derek shivers, his eyes light up and his smile takes on a soft tone.

“Okay, I won’t tease, seriously.” He steps closer. “Please? I really want to get to know you better.”

Derek looks at him for a moment, into his whiskey eyes, his constellations of moles and his pale skin. He says, “under one condition.”

Stiles frowns. “What?”

“I get a kiss first.”

The boy quickly smiles. “Well, that I can do.”

And he leans forward, wraps his arms around Derek’s neck, and brings their lips together.

 _Maybe,_ Derek thinks, _this is where the romance comes in_.

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to leave comments and kudos, they are _very_ appreciated by starving writers (me)!


End file.
